How long can you hold your breath?

“90% of the blackouts happen near the surface at the very end of the dive.”

Imagine walking 120 meters (131 yards) on one breath. Think you can make it?

And now imagine doing the same thing… diving. Miscalculated, ran out of oxygen? Tough luck, no way to breathe before you reach the surface!

What sounds like a crazy, dangerous endeavour is Lily Crespy’s passion and the most peaceful activity she can imagine. Freediving. Upon discovering this niche sport, not even a broken leg could stop Lily from diving into a new life. Formerly a molecular biologist, Lily became an athlete, competing in the world championships, and working internationally as a freediving instructor.

In 2017, a tragic accident (“The Deepest Breath” movie, available on Netflix) involving Lily’s friends – world-renowned safety diver Stephen Keenan and record-breaking freediving champion Alessia Zecchini – changed the trajectory of Lily’s career.

Let Lily take you on a deep dive and explain the intriguing physiological reflexes that help humans survive longer underwater. Listen to her personal account of Stephen Keenan’s fatal accident. And learn what she is up to now, writing a new chapter back home in Nice, France.

In short, we talk about this in the episode:

How dangerous is freediving really?
Step by step, what happens during a vertical freedive?
What surprising reflexes help humans survive longer underwater?
Who was Stephen Keenan to Lily and what happened on July 22^nd, 2017?

Mentioned in this episode:

“The Deepest Breath” movie
“The Big Blue” movie
Wim Hof breathing method (NOT to be used for freediving in water; can be used for static apnea)
Mammalian Dive Reflex (set of physiological responses to immersion in water)
Laryngospasm (protective reflex against pulmonary aspiration)
Blow-Tap-Talk (method to recover blacked-out diver)
Alexey Molchanov & Natalia Molchanova († 2nd August 2015)
Dahab Freedivers (freediving school in Dahab, Egypt, founded by Pascal Berger, Miguel Lozano, and Stephen Keenan, later run by Lily Crespy as manager)
Alessia Zecchini
Stephen Keenan († 22nd July 2017)